Single or double tree



(No Model.)

B. MANNESMANN.

SINGLE OR DOUBLE TREE.

No. 552,918. Patented Jan. 14, 1896.

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REINHARD MANNESMANN, OF N ElV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE MANNES- MANN TUBE COMPANY, OF

SINGLE OR DGUBLE TREE SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 552,918, dated January 14, 1896.

Application filed March 6,1895. $erialhl0. 540,771. (No model.)

.To (0Z5 whomit may concern.-

Be it known that I, REINHARD MANNES MANN, a citizen of Germany, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Single or Double Trees, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to hollow or tubular double and single trees of metal, and has for its object to secure increased strength and durability with a less quantity of metal and a consequent diminished weight, whereby the article is rendered light and synnnetrical and a practical substitute for wooden double and single trees is produced; to secure the necessary body and thickness of metal at the center of the double or single tree, where the greatest danger of breakage resides; to avoid scams and welds, which are very objectionable, in that a tubular double or single tree having scams or welds will crack and split; to provide increased elasticity, which reduces liability of a double or single tree bending,breaking, or cracking; to produce a stronger and more symmetrical double or single tree by reducin g its thickness vertically and widening it horizontally, so that the upper and lower shell parts operate in the nature of braces in actual use and render the structure far less liable to break when subjected to draft strains on its extremities to secure the requisite solid body of meta-lat the ends of the structure for the attachment of the cockeyes or other devices used to connect the traces to the double or single tree, and to generally improve this class of articles, whereby they can be economically manufactured by simplified machinery and are superior in actual use. These objects are all accomplished in the manner and by the means hereinafter described and claimed, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a detail perspective view, which may represent a doubletree or a sin gletree constructed in accordance with my invention, and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the same.

In order to enable those skilled in the art to make and use invention,Iwill now describe the same in detail, referring to the drawings,

wherein it will be observed that the double or single tree is hollow or tubular and gradually decreases in thickness of tube-shell from the thickest central portion 1 thereof to each end 2 of the hollow or tubular portion, in such 5 5 manner that the shell gradually increases in thickness from its end portions to the center of its length, at which point the shell is materially thickened up to secure the necessary body of metal at the point where the greatest danger of breakage resides. The thickened central portion also secures the necessary body of metal for the attachment of the double or single tree to a vehicle.

The extremities 3 of the single or double tree are solid and provided with perforations 4 to receive rings, cockeyes, or any other devices for the attachment of the traces. By making the extremities of the double or single tree solid, as shown, the requisite solid body of metal is obtained for the attachment of the draft devices.

The double or single tree is in fact composed of a seamless, elastic tube of steel or other metal, having no welds between the 75 ends 2 of the tube portion, and consequently the liability of the double or single tree bending, breaking, or orackin g is entirely avoided, which is not the case where hollow or tubular double or single trees are constructed with seams or welds.

The improved double or single tree, constructed in accordance with my invention, can be produced from a seamless, elastic tube made by the well-known Mannesinann process of rollinghollow or solid blanks or ingots of steel or other metal into seamless elastic tubes, the rolling mechanism being so operated that the shell of the tube is left thick at certain points, and is reduced in thickness at other points in such manner that a double or single tree can be obtained which possesses the peculiar characteristic of gradually increasing in thickness from its opposite c);- tremitios to the center of its length.

The hollow or tubular double or single tree is made very strong and symmetrical by constructing it in the form of a flattened tube, which is accomplished by reducing the thickness of the tube vertically and widening it horizontally, whereby the upper and lower shell portions act similar to braces in practicable operation, and render the structure far less liable to break when subjected to draft strains on its extremities.

The solid endportions 3 of the double or single tree are obtained by simply hammering, forging, or otherwise flattening the ends of the tube to make a practicably solid formation at each end thereof, corresponding to the solid end portions 3' illustrated in the drawings.

In a tubular double or single tree made according to my invention the tube-shell can be made very thin and light from each end portion of the tube toward or to the center of the length thereof, andlobtain greatly increased strength and durability with a less quantity be obtainedwithout the objections incident to a double or single tree. made in the form of a hollow cylinder.

Tomake a tubular metallic double or single' tree which will be a practicable and useful substitute for wooden double or single trees, it is of great importance tosecure the requisite strength with the least quantity of metal,in order to obtainthe necessary lightness in weight, for without thislightness in weight a metallic double or single tree is =veryzobjectionable and not likely to come intogeneral use.

My invention provides a tubularmetallic double or single tree whichpossesses the characteristics-and desirable features of strength,

-durability,lightness in weight, and symmetry in form or configuration, and will be found very desirable and efficient in actual use.

I am aware that a whiffletree has been composed of a tube of metal tapering from the center of its length toward each end; but in the prior construction the shell of the tube is of uniform thickness and the ends of the tube are open and cylindrical.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. A double or single-tree, consisting of a seamless, elastic tube of steel, or other metal, rolled with a shell increasing in thickness from its opposite extremities toward the center of its length.

2. A double or single-tree, consisting of a seamless, weldless, elastic tube of metal formed integralwith a shellwhich gradually increases in thickness from its opposite extremities to thevcenter of its length.

3. A double or single-tree, consisting of a seamless, elastic tube of metal formed integral with a shell increasing in thickness from its end portions toward the center of its length, and having at each extremity a solid flattened portion to secure the requisite bod y of metal for the attachment of draft devices.

at. A double or singletree, consisting of a flattened, seamless tube of metal rolled with a shell which increases in thickness from the end portions toward the middle of its length.

5. A double or single-tree, consisting of a flattened, seamless tube of metal rolled with a shell which increases in thickness from the end portions toward the middle of its length, 7 and having at each extremity a solid flattened portion to secure the requisite body of metal for the secure attachment of draft devices.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set .my hand in presence of twosubscribing wit- IIQSSQS.

REINI-IARD MANN ESMANN. lVitnesses:

EMIL KIPPER, ALBERT H. NORRIS. 

